Nexto ND-2725: Fastest Portable Storage Device?

[John Lane]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/10/nexto-nd-2725-video-backup-has-sean-penn-met-his-match/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/10/...-met-his-match/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"The ND-2725 sports a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive (up to 200GB) and supports just about every other memory card out there. Additionally, data can be backed up via USB and FireWire, including SxS and P2 cards from Sony and Panasonic camcorders, respectively. The company bills this guy as the "world's fastest backup device"."</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="355" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1229062682.usr18286.jpg" width="215" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Nexto ND-2725 is a portable storage device that is used to backup memory cards using an internal 2.5" hard drive. It can also connect directly to some Sony and Panasonic camcorders and backup your videos. It claims to have error checking capability to ensure the accuracy of your data. Engadget is slightly off - it uses USB 2.0 and eSATA, not firewire, but it does let you connect just about every memory card made.&nbsp; It is pricey: the 200GB model goes for $539.&nbsp;</p>

[Neil Enns]

That's just crazy expensive. You can get a HyperDrive Colorspace UDMA shell for $299 and slap a 250GB drive from Newegg in it for another $79. Plus the Colorspace has a massive full-colour display for image review.

Why would anybody want this thing!?

Neil

[Jason Dunn]

Hrm. I reviewed an earlier version of this product, and I loved it:

http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/30626

But back then in 2006, it didn't come with a hard drive, and was only about $120 or so for the shell. That configuration of the product makes sense. This one does not...that's REALLY expensive!

The funny thing is, even though I gushed over this product in 2006, now that I'm always bringing my laptop with me to edit my raw photos while I'm on the trip (and to watch movies, etc.) I never take this with me any more. :rolleyes:

[Neil Enns]

For me the big change since 2006 is the rock bottom price and size of CF cards. I bought three 16GB SanDisk Extreme III cards a month ago and they cost me a whopping $40 total after rebate. That pretty much guarantees I don't run out of space when I'm in the field before I can get to a laptop.

Having said that, for my big trip in January I needed two external harddrives for backup, and I made one of them a Hyperdrive. I never expected 1080p video to arrive in my SLR, and now that it has, it chews up space like you wouldn't believe!

Neil

[Jason Dunn]

I never expected 1080p video to arrive in my SLR, and now that it has, it chews up space like you wouldn't believe!

Yeah, it's funny, Flash memory is so cheap it sort of ended the need for external hard drive storage - then HD video comes along and blows the whole thing up and suddenly we're back where we started! And that's the way the companies like it. :)

[Neil Enns]

Amusingly, here's a review posted just today of the new Hyperdrive UDMA device: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/hyper-udma.shtml.

Neil

[John Lane]

I agree with yall. Because memory cards are cheap and huge now, I can't see that you would need this temporary device when a notebook would do so much better.

For most people, I can't see you not being back at your notebook each night downloading your photos and reviewing them on a much bigger screen. And for the costs of these devices, you can get a basic HP notebook with a 200+GB hard drive.

[max4all]

Maybe I'm stupid. I've gotten the footage from my EX3 camcorder into the nexto 2725. How do I get it from the nexto into my Mac, so I can use the footage in FCP? I hooked up the nexto and a Mac with a male-to-male USB 2.0 cable, but I get nothing. Do I need to use the eSATA port on my nexto? If so, there's no eSATA port on my Mac. Can I use an eSATA-to-USB connection?